U.S. Senator Steve Daines published an opinion piece in several Montana newspapers this week, raising concerns about the safety of the abortion pill mifepristone. In his op-ed, Daines criticized federal authorities and pro-abortion advocates for describing the medication as safe.
“The abortion pill, easily sold over the counter at the local drug store or shipped out by mail, causes traumatic adverse effects for the women who take it. Yet the federal government lauds the pill as safe. Pro-abortion advocates call it ‘safe as Tylenol,’ despite overwhelming evidence showing otherwise…”
Daines cited reports from women who have experienced severe side effects after taking mifepristone. “There is evidence that proves mifepristone is not safe, with numerous women reporting experiences of hemorrhaging, sepsis and infection. But because of lies pushed by pro-abortion advocates, what was once looked at as taboo is now performed on demand at any cost, flaunted, and even deemed a triumphant advance of our society. By repeating these claims, the very people who claim to care about women’s health endanger the lives of countless women in Montana and throughout the country…”
He referenced a recent study conducted by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC), which analyzed health insurance data from over 865,000 prescriptions between 2017 and 2023. According to Daines, “A new study by the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) assessed the health insurance claims of 865,727 mifepristone prescriptions from 2017-2023. The insurance claims showed that nearly 11% of women who used mifepristone experienced serious adverse effects. This is 22 times higher than the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates. The data is a reflection of real-world insurance claims from real women who have used mifepristone. Clearly, the evidence shows this pill can have devastating impacts…”
Daines also criticized local media coverage for relying on sources that questioned these findings: “Unfortunately, the Lee Montana newspapers ignored these facts in a recent article (Sen. Daines cites ‘flawed’ abortion pill study during RFK Jr. hearing) and instead chose to use pro-abortion sources to denounce this evidence from EPPC as ‘flawed.’ By doing so, they misrepresent the dangers of the abortion pill to thousands of Montana women…”
He expressed support for actions promised by national leaders: “I am encouraged by President Trump and U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s promises to look into this issue and I’ll continue to work with the administration to protect women and fight for the most vulnerable in our society…”
Daines concluded his piece with optimism about future advocacy efforts: “I am confident that with continued advocacy about the dangers of mifepristone coupled with the efforts of pro-life groups across Montana, we will once again return to a point where our culture respects the dignity in every life, born and unborn, and where abortion is unthinkable.”
The full text of Senator Daines’s op-ed appeared in multiple outlets including the Billings Gazette, the Missoulian, the Montana Standard, the Ravalli Republic, and Helena Independent Record.
